Jon Jones can add another award to the trophy status.
During the UFC 290 broadcast on Saturday, it was announced that Jones won the ESPY Award for the 2023 UFC Fighter of the Year. The heavyweight champion beat teammates Leon Edwards, Islam Makhachev and the recently retired Amanda Nunes.
This is the first ESPY for Jones, who was previously nominated four times in the now-defunct Best Fighter category, which included both boxers and MMA fighters. He fell three times against Floyd Mayweather and once against Manny Pacquiao.
There was no denying this year for Jones after his triumphant return to competition at UFC 285 this past March. In his first fight in over three years, the former light heavyweight king became a two-division champion by claiming the vacant heavyweight title with a dominant Cyril Jain submission in the first round.
The 2023 ESPY Awards will take place on July 12 in Los Angeles. Jones was also nominated for Comeback Athlete of the Year, while Edwards is still in contention for the tournament’s Best Performance award for his stunning fifth-round exit from Kamaru Usman at UFC 278.